Employment Prospects in Pittsburgh (pay, job, good)

[dirimini]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

Unless you're an executive, the easiest way to get permanent employment these days is through a temp agency.

I ain't no executive, that's for sure.

That was my plan - but then a couple people told me that, because the company using the temp agency almost always has to sign an agreement granting a portion of the permanent hire's salary back to the agency, this generally results in a lower salary - so it's generally preferable to get hired directly by the company. Still, since so many companies use temp agencies to procure their employees, it's hard not to use them (the temp agencies) in order to get your foot in the door.

[gameguy56]

One industry that is booming in the Pittsburgh area is natural resources/gas/coal. If you have an environmental related degree it's quite easy to find a well paying job here in Pittsburgh.

Another industry that's doing well is software design and computer programming. Because of CMU there are a lot of tech startups in the Pittsburgh Area.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by dirimini

That was my plan - but then a couple people told me that, because the company using the temp agency almost always has to sign an agreement granting a portion of the permanent hire's salary back to the agency, this generally results in a lower salary - so it's generally preferable to get hired directly by the company. Still, since so many companies use temp agencies to procure their employees, it's hard not to use them (the temp agencies) in order to get your foot in the door.

In the arrangements we've used to hire a few people, the fee for permanent hire disappears after keeping the temp 90 days, something like that. Basically, the agency gets its cut either way. If you keep the temp that long, then you're paying them a premium over the temp's salary for 3 months. If you hire them away from the temp agency right away, you pay the fee. For all I know the math is about equal. Heck, maybe we've never done the math and should have been paying the fee , but also the 90 days gives us a chance to evaluate the employee. And of course, sometimes we've given up on one after a couple weeks because it's a bad fit, and then we can have them send someone else.

The practical upshot of this as an employee is that assuming the temp position you are placed in is a permanent position at the customer company, if it works out and you stay there for a few months, then you could get hired permanently directly by the customer at possibly an increase in salary at that point.

It's not a slam dunk hire though. It's a really tough thing to suggest you'd be okay moving here and turning down an existing offer when you've already been unemployed a few months. You could easily be several months more looking for work here. Or you could find something right away. I don't believe it's possible to predict this with any decent accuracy. It's a risk, and you'll have to decide which is more important to you.

[BrianTH]

In fact the energy sector in general is hiring. Here is a recent article:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2010/08/16/focus4.html?b=1281931200^3800721&page=1

[DaBurgh]

I would go to the websites of companies based in Pittsburgh and fill out their online job application. Many companies have a general app to fill out, so that you are already on their radar in the event they decide to hire someone. Start with the companies you would be most interested in working for, so that you would be more likely to like your job.

Next I would go to indeed.com or simplyhired.com and check out the job postings. Start applying to every job you qualify for to see how many bites you get. If you like the types of jobs available and are getting calls from employers, that's a good indication that you can land a job here.

In this economy, it would be a bad idea to advise someone to relocate without having a job already in place.

[dirimini]

@greg42: Thanks very much for all of that information. I've always thought temp agencies were a good idea for someone who can go in and do a bang-up job, and impress the boss; two of my temp gigs (years ago) led to job offers.

@gameguy56: I wish my degrees (of which I have too many) were related to either of those areas. Unfortunately, they're in the humanities, and it's sometimes a tough sell to convince private-sector employers that what they see as "esoteric" degrees or "unrelated" work experience really demand skills that would be very useful to the position they're offering.

@brian: Thanks for the article.

@daBurgh: I've been doing just what you suggest - looking at online listings, and trying to research companies in P'burgh. Of course, as you say...

In this economy, it would be a bad idea to advise someone to relocate without having a job already in place.

I hear that. Loud and clear. If I do decide to relocate, it will be a real leap of faith.

[Jrn14]

Originally Posted by Davros

You were offered a job ? Take it. Your commute doesn't have to be 3 hours if you move closer to work. There's one problem solved.

If you don't take this job, think about how you'll feel if some 27-52 weeks from now you're still unemployed ?

It's your life. But work is work. Turning down job offers seems like a good way to look forward to a long time of being unemployed in this economy.

I don't agree with this, what about personal happiness? Fufillment... it's not all about money. What good is a job if you hate it and the life it provides you... and you can't even argue that she would be putting her happiness aside for big bucks.. she said the pay is average.... I say roll the dice... come to Pittsburgh... there are a lot of big corporations, universities and hospitals that are always hiring. Depending on your experience I feel you could find something that fits.

[dirimini]

Jrn14, you are representing the other voice in my head: what about personal happiness?

On the one hand I know very well that the practical thing to do is take the less-than-optimum job, and stay in the city I dislike - and I have always been the "practical" person. Yet, I think it's exactly this that has led me to the position I'm in now: not young, realizing one life is all we get, and very unhappy in my present circumstances.

I'm pretty sure I could get some job in P'burgh - probably not a great-paying job to start, but I think I could at least get a temp office job with my typing speed! But this economy worries me - the practical side, again.

[dirimini]

Just thought this might be interesting:

Forty Strongest U.S. Metro Economies: Pittsburgh, PA - BusinessWeek

I know, very brief and superficial, but...

Anyway, in case anyone is interested, I accepted the job in my current location. At the end of the day, I could not find a really and truly compelling reason to turn down even an average-paying job (with full benefits), despite the fact that I hate where I live.

So my plan is to run a full-out job search while I'm employed, including a search in PGH - in fact, most of my energies might go toward PGH. I know it's going to be tough doing a serious job search while employed at a job that already has very long hours (and at the same time I'm trying to fulfill my commitments to my publishing contract), but I'm willing to give up all evenings and weekends for the next six months or so to make it happen. I can only hope "it" does happen.

[Honest Bob]

My personal opinion is that if a company is not willing to commit to a person - at least not enough to hire someone on a temporary basis - directly, then working for a temp agency is a bad idea.

I have had nothing but bad experiences with temp agencies - who's only job is to protect the employer. At times the employer puts you in compromising situations where you are most likely to get hurt. Once you are hurt - the company is not liable - because you never worked directly for the company.
That removes the liability portion of the equasion from the employer and puts it on a the temporary agency - which you cannot sue - because their expressed - written agreement - is that you should not be put in those situations.

The employer gets you cheap - lets face it, if they can afford to pay a temporary agency to hire you, pay your workmans comp and still make a profit - then there is something wrong with this picture. So they work you like a rented mule - or _igg_er - as we would say in coal country.
Once the job is done - there is nothing to force the employer to hire you.

As my brother would put it, " we like to hire from a temporary agency. It allows us to use someone, try them out for 3 or 6 months. At the end of that time, we can either hire them, keep them on temporary status for another 3 / 6 months or let them go and there is no hard feelings."

From my work experiences in the past, I can attest that you can usually get 3 months of hard work out of someone. Once they are hired, they get cocky and their work slacks off. After about a year, you can tell how much work you are going to get out of them. PENNDOT has one of the worst track records - along with the railroads. They hired so many slackers - that the old people rubbed off on the young people and after a while - they refused to hire anymore people - because they couldn't get any work out of the ones that they already had and there was no use hiring more people.

If a employer won't hire me directly, I walk out the door.
I will take a job for $1 less an hour that is a direct hire over any temp job.